Healthcare provider-patient matching method, system, and apparatus

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus to match patients with healthcare providers are described. Patients and healthcare providers are classified into separate profile categories with similar but different information. Patients are presented an index of healthcare providers that best fit their search criteria and healthcare providers are presented an index of patient that best fit their search criteria. The patients and healthcare providers sequentially make an indication of whether they wish to match with each individual presented. When patients and healthcare providers indicate they wish to match with an individual, the individual receives a request. If the individual approves the request, a match is formed. When a patient and healthcare provider match, they are then able to communicate with one another.

1 . A patient-healthcare provider matching apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a patient database including patient profile records for a plurality of patients, each patient profile record including patient information provided by a respective patient;   a healthcare provider database including healthcare provider profile records for a plurality of healthcare providers, each healthcare provider profile record including healthcare provider information provided by a respective healthcare provider;   a linkage database including records indicative of patient acceptances of healthcare providers, healthcare provider acceptances of patients, and linkages between mutually accepted patients and healthcare providers; and   a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide for matching between a patient and a healthcare provider by:
 for the patient, comparing the patient profile record to the healthcare provider profile records in the healthcare provider database to determine a healthcare provider index of potential matching healthcare providers, 
 creating or accessing a healthcare provider profile card for each of the potential matching healthcare providers, 
 determining an order for the healthcare provider profile cards based on a degree of matching with the patient profile record, with healthcare provider profile cards having a higher degree of matching being placed first in the order, 
 causing a first ordered healthcare provider profile card to be displayed at a patient terminal of the patient, 
 receiving, from the patient terminal, a patient input in relation to the first ordered healthcare provider profile card, 
 responsive to the patient input being indicative of a rejection of the healthcare provider profile card, causing a next ordered healthcare provider profile card to be displayed at the patient terminal, 
 responsive to the patient input being indicative of an acceptance of the healthcare provider profile card, determining if the healthcare provider has already accepted the patient by accessing the linkage database, 
 responsive to the healthcare provider having not accepted the patient, transmitting a message to a healthcare provider terminal of the healthcare provider indicative of a pending request from the patient, and 
 responsive to the healthcare provider having already accepted the patient, causing a linkage record to be created indicative of a pairing between the patient and the healthcare provider and enabling the patient and the healthcare provider to communicate with each other. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide for matching between the healthcare provider and the patient by:
 for the healthcare provider, comparing the healthcare provider profile record to the patient profile records in the patient database to determine a patient index of potential matching patients,   creating or accessing a patient profile card for each of the potential matching patients,   determining an order for the patient profile cards based on a degree of matching with the healthcare provider profile record, with patient profile cards having a higher degree of matching being placed first in the order,   causing a first ordered patient profile card to be displayed at the healthcare provider terminal of the healthcare provider,   receiving, from the healthcare provider terminal, a healthcare provider input in relation to the first ordered patient profile card,   responsive to the healthcare provider input being indicative of a rejection of the patient profile card, causing a next ordered patient profile card to be displayed at the healthcare provider terminal,   responsive to the healthcare provider input being indicative of an acceptance of the patient profile card, determining if the patient has already accepted the healthcare provider by accessing the linkage database,   responsive to the patient having not accepted the patient, transmitting a message to the patient terminal of the patient indicative of a pending request from the healthcare provider, and   responsive to the patient having already accepted the healthcare provider, causing a linkage record to be created indicative of a pairing between the patient and the healthcare provider and enabling the patient and the healthcare provider to communicate with each other.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 before or during the comparison of the patient profile record to the healthcare provider profile records in the healthcare provider database, access the linkage database to determine healthcare providers that have already rejected the patient; and   remove the determined healthcare providers that have already rejected the patient from being potential matching healthcare providers.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 receive from the patient device a referral code corresponding to a referred healthcare provider having a healthcare provider profile record in the healthcare provider database;   before or during the comparison of the patient profile record to the healthcare provider profile records in the healthcare provider database, add the healthcare provider profile record of the referred healthcare provider to the healthcare provider index regardless of a comparison of the patient profile record to the healthcare provider profile record of the referred healthcare provider; and   place a healthcare provider profile card of the referred healthcare provider at a front of the order.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to cause a referred designator to be displayed on the healthcare provider profile card of the referred healthcare provider. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 determine at least some patient information of the patient that does not match comparable healthcare provider information of a potential matching healthcare provider; and   remove the non-matching healthcare provider information from the healthcare provider profile card of the potential matching healthcare provider before making the healthcare provider profile card available for display to the patient.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein at least some of the patient information that does not match the comparable healthcare provider information corresponds to a category or a field that is coded as being non-critical. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the category or field is related to at least one of a language spoken, an ethnicity, a hobby, a favorite television/movie, or a social view. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to create the healthcare provider profile cards by selecting a subset of the healthcare provider information for the respective healthcare provider. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the healthcare provider information includes a healthcare provider name, a healthcare provider picture, a healthcare provider age, a healthcare provider gender, a healthcare provider email, a healthcare provider phone number, a healthcare provider address, a healthcare provider specialization, a healthcare provider fee range, and healthcare provider accepted insurance companies, and a healthcare provider desired distance, and
 wherein the healthcare provider profile card includes at least one of a healthcare provider name, a healthcare provider picture, a healthcare provider address, a healthcare provider specialization, a healthcare provider fee range, and healthcare provider accepted insurance companies.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 determine a rating for a respective healthcare provider for each of the healthcare provider profile cards; and   display the determined rating on the respective healthcare provider profile cards.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to at least one of:
 after enabling the patient and the healthcare provider to communicate with each other, provide a communication option on profile cards of the matching patient and healthcare provider that activates at least one of a chat session, a live-video session, a telecommunication session, or an email program; or   after enabling the patient and the healthcare provider to communicate with each other, provide contact information on the healthcare provider profile card of the matching healthcare provider or transmit the contact information of the healthcare provider to the patient terminal.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 after enabling the patient and the healthcare provider to communicate with each other, cause a schedule of the matching healthcare provider to be displayed on the patient terminal;   receive a patient scheduling message indicative of a date and time for reserving an appointment;   add an indication of the appointment to the schedule; and   transmit a healthcare provider scheduling message to be transmitted to the healthcare provider terminal that is indicative of the appointment.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 responsive to the patient input being indicative of a rejection of the healthcare provider profile card, place the healthcare provider profile card of the rejected healthcare provider into a lower position into the order.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the patient input includes at least one of a swiping motion, a selection of a graphical icon, or a gesture made by moving the patient terminal. 
     
     
         16 . A patient-healthcare provider matching method comprising:
 providing a patient database including patient profile records for a plurality of patients, each patient profile record including patient information provided by a respective patient;   providing a healthcare provider database including healthcare provider profile records for a plurality of healthcare providers, each healthcare provider profile record including healthcare provider information provided by a respective healthcare provider;   providing a linkage database including records indicative of patient acceptances of healthcare providers, healthcare provider acceptances of patients, and linkages between mutually accepted patients and healthcare providers; and   providing for matching between a patient and a healthcare provider by:
 for the patient, comparing, via a processor, the patient profile record to the healthcare provider profile records in the healthcare provider database to determine a healthcare provider index of potential matching healthcare providers, 
 creating or accessing, via the processor, a healthcare provider profile card for each of the potential matching healthcare providers, 
 determining, via the processor, an order for the healthcare provider profile cards based on a degree of matching with the patient profile record, with healthcare provider profile cards having a higher degree of matching being placed first in the order, 
 causing, via the processor, a first ordered healthcare provider profile card to be displayed at a patient terminal of the patient, 
 receiving, from the patient terminal, a patient input in relation to the first ordered healthcare provider profile card, 
 responsive to the patient input being indicative of a rejection of the healthcare provider profile card, causing, via the processor, a next ordered healthcare provider profile card to be displayed at the patient terminal, 
 responsive to the patient input being indicative of an acceptance of the healthcare provider profile card, determining, via the processor, if the healthcare provider has already accepted the patient by accessing the linkage database, 
 responsive to the healthcare provider having not accepted the patient, transmitting, via the processor, a message to a healthcare provider terminal of the healthcare provider indicative of a pending request from the patient, and 
 responsive to the healthcare provider having already accepted the patient, causing, via the processor, a linkage record to be created indicative of a pairing between the patient and the healthcare provider and enabling the patient and the healthcare provider to communicate with each other. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising providing for matching between the healthcare provider and the patient by:
 for the healthcare provider, comparing, via the processor, the healthcare provider profile record to the patient profile records in the patient database to determine a patient index of potential matching patients;   creating or accessing, via the processor, a patient profile card for each of the potential matching patients;   determining, via the processor, an order for the patient profile cards based on a degree of matching with the healthcare provider profile record, with patient profile cards having a higher degree of matching being placed first in the order;   causing, via the processor, a first ordered patient profile card to be displayed at the healthcare provider terminal of the healthcare provider;   receiving, from the healthcare provider terminal, a healthcare provider input in relation to the first ordered patient profile card;   responsive to the healthcare provider input being indicative of a rejection of the patient profile card, causing, via the processor, a next ordered patient profile card to be displayed at the healthcare provider terminal;   responsive to the healthcare provider input being indicative of an acceptance of the patient profile card, determining, via the processor, if the patient has already accepted the healthcare provider by accessing the linkage database;   responsive to the patient having not accepted the patient, transmitting, via the processor, a message to the patient terminal of the patient indicative of a pending request from the healthcare provider; and   responsive to the patient having already accepted the healthcare provider, causing, via the processor, a linkage record to be created indicative of a pairing between the patient and the healthcare provider and enabling the patient and the healthcare provider to communicate with each other.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, in the processor from the patient device, a referral code corresponding to a referred healthcare provider having a healthcare provider profile record in the healthcare provider database;   before or during the comparison of the patient profile record to the healthcare provider profile records in the healthcare provider database, adding, via the processor, the healthcare provider profile record of the referred healthcare provider to the healthcare provider index regardless of a comparison of the patient profile record to the healthcare provider profile record of the referred healthcare provider; and   placing, via the processor, a healthcare provider profile card of the referred healthcare provider at a front of the order.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising causing, via the processor, a referred designator to be displayed on the healthcare provider profile card of the referred healthcare provider. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 after enabling the patient and the healthcare provider to communicate with each other, causing, via the processor, a schedule of the matching healthcare provider to be displayed on the patient terminal;   receiving, in the processor, a patient scheduling message indicative of a date and time for reserving an appointment;   adding, via the processor, an indication of the appointment to the schedule; and   transmitting, via the processor a healthcare provider scheduling message to be transmitted to the healthcare provider terminal that is indicative of the appointment.